Category: Fishing

Above all, Florida is one of the sunniest locations of any fishing expedition that may arise. That’s why you may want to know that you’re prepared on all accounts and that you have all the pieces of equipment that’re needed in order to have the best performance and bring home as many catches as possible.

If you’re wondering whether the colors are important or not, I’ve seen that they rarely make a good consideration to give a lot of thought to, unless you choose bright ones such as white. I personally recommend muted greens, as well as browns, mostly because in this way, you’ll be able to become one with the environment, and the sun won’t reflect on your clothes and bother you when looking at the water or your target. You’ll see that most fishermen actually recommend dark clothing in order to blend as well as possible with the background, and even attract fewer insects, including mosquitos. Fish aren’t as gullible as we like to think they are, so it may be worth pointing out that they can get scared when spotting a large white and shiny thing waiting for them on the shore.

In Florida, some of the critically acclaimed pieces of clothing that can be found on the market today resemble the Columbia style fishing clothes that are rather common virtually everywhere. While some people argue that the type of clothes you will be wearing, their design, or their color may matter less, these details can be crucial when fishing in clear and still waters.

Clothes that offer plenty of sun protection are the ones you have to consider. Be sure to pack up on some sunscreen if you intend to fish in Florida, as the sun will be up in the sky for many hours on end. If you’re uncomfortable with sweating in your fishing clothes, it may be a good idea to look for breathable materials, even though these are less durable compared to their synthetic counterparts.

At the same time, getting a good pair of sunglasses should be one of your priorities. Think of this way. If you intend to sit for many hours waiting for that fish to bite, you need some sort of sun protection or else you’ll squint and cry all of the time. A high-quality pair of polarized sunglasses might not necessarily be reasonably priced, but you have to consider it an investment. Otherwise, you find fishing extremely uncomfortable due to the fact that sunlight can and will be reflected in the waters you’re in or next to. Additionally, maybe you’d like to get a cheap cap or any kind of hat you feel comfortable with. Of course, there are models intended primarily for fishing, but this is the area where you can do without high-end head protection, particularly if you sit in the shade.

These are the most important things I’ve found to be most useful when going out fishing in Florida. Hope these suggestions can be of help to you.

The large fish called tarpon belong to the genus Megalops, the only members of which are two. One species is native to the Atlantic while the other to the Indo-Pacific Oceans. Growing to more than 7 feet long and over 300 pounds heavy, tarpon is typically sighted close to shore, which makes it the perfect target for someone who doesn’t own a big watercraft. Primary food for tarpon are crabs, shrimp and fish. The large scales of tarpon make a great souvenir. Tarpon are not good for eating due to their plentiful bones so they end up being released after getting caught.

The largest tarpon are all captured in Africa, with Sierra Leone being popular in this respect. It is said that you may not get plenty of tarpon there but the few you do get are quite huge. Costa Rica on the Caribbean side shows plenty of potential for tarpon fishing. In Nicaragua, there is a small fishery near the Rio Indio Lodge that enables easy access to the open ocean compared to plenty of spots in that region.

Hooking a tarpon is a huge challenge because its mouth is uncommonly bone-tough. Tarpon can put up a big fight when hooked, attempting to throw you off by getting rid of the hook or a section of the leader when it does battle with you. Tarpon can thrash wildly about, making big leaps almost twice the length of its body as it tries to free itself right out of the water. Baits and hooks seem to work well where lures only lose you more than you actually land.

Tarpon is considered one of the great saltwater game fish thanks to its enormous size and the fight it can give you due to its ability to make high leaps. It is also present on fisherpants.com in their top 10 fighting fish. Fishing tarpon doesn’t require heavy duty tackle. You can even land a 100-pound tarpon using just an 8-pound line, if you are a seasoned angler who relishes the challenge. If not, go for a 30-pound test line, which would be light enough to withstand a fierce battle but with enough heft not to get the fish extremely tired. Monofilament line can take the violent struggle the fish makes although braided line can work fine as well. Juvenile tarpon will not need such super heavy tackle despite the fact that they are also not that easy to land as their larger counterparts.

Try your hand at tarpon fishing nearshore and in estuaries and rivers. You can hook the fish on jerkbaits but be prepared for the treble hooks to get dislodged. Tarpon will succumb to different lures such as poppers, jigs and soft plastics. Go for lures with a single hook, if possible, so the fish won’t have too many opportunities to shake the gear loose. Hooks outfitted with slide-away lures provide less leverage for the tarpon.

A hooked tarpon will nearly always leap high in the air instantaneously and start thrashing violently around. Keep a slack line to offset all the wild activity. An overly tight line can snap easily. When the fish leaps back into the water, that’s the time you reel the line tight and raise the fishing rod. When the tarpon ceases to leap, apply as much pressure as you can and shift your angles often so as to get the fish disoriented and to help you land it more quickly. If you don’t do so, the tarpon can easily become aware of the pressure it needs to exert against your unidirectional and constant pressure and it is most likely to bring the fight to you once again. The constant pressure also gives the opportunity for the tarpon to get a breather so it can come up for air and then do battle with you again.

If you want to see a giant tarpon caught in Florida, you can watch this video: